Karachi could be the likeliest alternative, with the first Test as well as the subsequent ODIs all scheduled there

Danyal Rasool23-Dec-2022

The second Test between Pakistan and New Zealand is likely to be moved out of Multan because of the severe fog and smog expected in the area in early January. ESPNcricinfo understands that formal talks are on between the two boards on the matter. The game is scheduled to begin on January 3.While it is not yet clear what the new venue will be, Karachi could be the easiest to switch to, since it is the venue for the first Test between the sides, which begins on December 26, and conditions there are expected to be better.Multan hosted the second Test between Pakistan and England in early December, and while there were no visibility-related interruptions then, air quality was notably worse than it was in Rawalpindi, where the first Test was played. The flight to Multan was, in fact, delayed by almost four hours because of fog, and visibility early in the morning was significantly lower than normal.However, the sun did burn away most of the fog by the time play started, at 10am local time, and there were no delays on that front. Since then, though, Multan has been overcast and that is expected to continue. On several occasions over the past week, the motorway from Lahore to Multan has been closed to traffic for several hours due to foggy conditionsLahore cannot be an alternative venue for the same reason, with visibility even lower and air quality levels comparable to the worst in the world. On Friday, Lahore’s AQI read 500, according to IQAir. That’s around 25 times above the acceptable level. Forget visibility, playing cricket there could be a health hazard too.That effectively leaves Karachi and Rawalpindi as the only realistic options, with facilities in the rest of the country not equipped to host Test cricket at such short notice.The three-match ODI series that follows the Tests will also take place in Karachi, so shifting the second Test there would mean that the entire tour is held in one city.

Journalist Ben Jacobs expects Leeds United to make a summer move for a “fantastic” striker, who would be “keen” on a move to Elland Road.

Leeds take huge step towards promotion

Leeds’ promotion hopes were significantly boosted with a 3-1 victory against Sheffield United at Bramall Lane last night, with Junior Firpo, Ao Tanaka and Joel Piroe striking late to complete a second-half turnaround against their Yorkshire rivals.

The Whites now sit seven points clear of third-place Burnley as we enter the business end of the season, having hit a rich vein of form at the right time, winning their last five games on the spin in the Championship.

There is still a long way to go, but Daniel Farke’s side are in a strong position to return to the Premier League at the second time of asking, and they have now started to identify potential targets for the summer transfer window.

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Manor Solomon has played a key role in Leeds’ promotion push, and it has recently been revealed the Tottenham Hotspur man is set to be available for a fee of around £10m – £15m at the end of the season.

Solomon is not the only attacking target the Championship promotion-hopefuls have in mind, however, with Jacobs recently telling GiveMeSport he expects them to make a fresh move for Southampton’s Cameron Archer, who they wanted in January.

“My expectation is, with Southampton likely to go down and Leeds on track to come up, that Leeds will revisit the Cameron Archer deal, and over the course of a long summer, potentially make more progress there.

“Archer is keen on the move. Leeds value the fact that he can play centrally or out wide. And Archer will remain on Leeds’ shortlist heading into the summer.”

Archer was Leeds' top striker target in January

Jacobs also revealed Archer was Leeds’ “number one target” at striker last month, having displayed a keen eye for goal in the Championship in the past, bagging 11 goals and six assists in 20 games for Middlesbrough in the 2022-23 campaign.

The former Boro man has also received praise from ex-Solihull Moors coach James Quinn, who said: “He came in and straightaway I was taken aback by his technical quality. A fantastic finisher with both feet. One of the best I’ve seen.”

That said, the 23-year-old has struggled since making the step-up to the Premier League this season, joining Southampton last summer in a £15m deal.

Since arriving at St. Mary’s, the striker has scored just two Premier League goals in 23 outings, failing to find the back of the net since October.

Of course, it is a tough ask to regularly score goals while playing in such a poor side, but there should be some concern about Archer’s Premier League goal record, given that Leeds will most likely be returning to the top tier next season.

Already setting their sights on some bargain deals, Rangers are now reportedly plotting a move to sign a Championship gem ahead of Crystal Palace when the summer transfer window arrives.

Rangers transfer news

Fresh from a shock cup exit at the hands of Scottish Championship side Queen’s Park, the Gers will be desperate to find some fresh positives as the pressure continues to increase on Philippe Clement. Reports have even gone as far as to suggest that the Belgian could lose his job if Rangers are knocked out of the Europa League last 16.

Off the pitch, meanwhile, what far from helped Clement is the fact that Rangers managed to welcome just one reinforcement in the January transfer window, which came in the form of Rafael Fernandes on loan from LOSC Lille.

The central defender has already made two appearances and made his first start in an unfortunate full debut to forget against Queen’s Park. Whether Fernandes proves to be a great success or not, however, it’s clear that those at Ibrox must and Clement a number of summer reinforcements.

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Dan Emery

Feb 12, 2025

According to Football Insider, Rangers are now plotting a summer move to sign Zaid Betteka ahead of Norwich City and Crystal Palace. The Birmingham City teenager is yet to sign a new deal at the League One club and will, therefore, be free to leave this summer as things stand.

A bargain deal, Rangers should have no financial concerns over a deal for the young winger, who is set to have quite the decision to make when the summer arrives. Whilst Selhurst Park would be hard to turn down, the prospect of game time at Ibrox may well play a large part in Betteka’s choice.

Betteka has major decision to make

Having already made his senior debut for Birmingham, the pathway certainly seems there for Betteka to take at his boyhood club. Whether he takes it is another story, however. Interest from both Rangers and Crystal Palace hands him a crucial choice to make at just 18 years old. Given how he’s performed at U21 level so far this season too, Betteka is undoubtedly ready for more first-team action.

Amid Oscar Cortes’ consistent injury struggles too, Rangers may well need to consider signing another attacking spark sooner rather than later and Betteka can provide exactly that.

When the summer arrives, the Gers must simply act – whether that means signing the Birmingham youngster or shifting their attention to other options. When the window arrives, meanwhile, it may be too little too late to save Clement’s job.

A world away in the Scottish Premiership title race and out of the Scottish Cup in shock fashion, those at Ibrox have plenty of important decisions to make in the coming months.

Tottenham Hotspur exited the FA Cup in the fourth round earlier this afternoon, falling to a 2-1 defeat against Aston Villa at Villa Park.

Jacob Ramsey put the hosts ahead within the first minute before Morgan Rogers struck halfway through the second period to hand Unai Emery’s side a two-goal cushion.

However, Mathys Tel scored his first Spurs goal in stoppage time, but it was too little too late for Ange Postecoglou’s men, as they lost for the sixth time in 2025 already.

It saw the club exit their second cup competition in the space of a week after losing 4-0 to Liverpool at Anfield in the Carabao Cup on Thursday night, with the Europa League their final opportunity to end their wait for a trophy.

Too many players failed to impress once again in the West Midlands, subsequently putting their future starting roles at risk as the Aussie looks to turn around their slump in form.

Spurs’ disappointing performers against Aston Villa

Rodrigo Bentancur started at the heart of midfield once again for the Lilywhites but failed to back up Ange’s decision to stick with him after Thursday’s defeat.

The Uruguayan featured for 72 minutes before being withdrawn, winning just one of the six duels he entered, being dribbled past twice and making no attempts to track back for the host’s second of the afternoon.

Lucas Bergvall looked off the pace once more in the loss, with the build-up of action undoubtedly contributing to his recent poor performances for Spurs.

The 19-year-old lost eight duels, the most of any players, committing four fouls in the process and getting himself carded once again compounding his disappointing showing in the West Midlands.

Despite the lack of positive impact from the aforementioned duo, there was another first-team member who failed to impress, with the talent looking like a shadow of his former self once again today.

The Spurs player who dropped a 4/10 display against Villa

For numerous years, Heung-min Son has been the shining light in a below-par period for the club, often producing the moment of magic to dig them out of a difficult moment.

However, the same can’t be said in 2025, with the South Korean failing to meet the high expectations he’s set for himself during his time as a player in North London.

The display against Villa today was no different, with the 32-year-old wasteful with the ball at his feet, showing signs that the best days of his professional career are now in the rearview mirror.

Son featured for the entirety of the meeting, but could only muster a total of 23 touches, the lowest of any player who started the clash, with goalkeeper Antonin Kinsky registering more with his tally of 43.

The forward missed a gilt edge chance to get Ange’s men back in the contest, completing just eight passes and losing 83% of the duels he entered, leading to journalist Japtej Ghura labelling his display as “inexcusable”.

Minutes played

90

Touches

23

Passes completed

8/9 (89%)

Big chances missed

1

Duels lost

5/6 (83%)

Possession lost

8x

Drbbled past

2x

He also lost possession eight times within his 23 touches, highlighting his wasteful outing, getting dribbled past twice with his lack of explosive pace now evident – looking nowhere near the talent he once was.

To top off his showing, Son was handed a measly 4/10 match rating by Express journalist Sam Smith, compounding his misery after the Lilywhites’ cup exit.

Tel’s late goal is proof that is coming to the point where the South Korean may have to step aside to allow the next generation to take over in North London – a difficult decision undoubtedly given his career at the club.

However, football is a cutthroat industry and if the club are to progress and fight for a trophy at any point in the near future, it’s crucial that Postecoglou axes the forward from his starting lineup.

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MatériaMais Notícias

O Botafogo terá um desfalque de peso para enfrentar o América-MG às 19h desta quinta-feira, no Independência, pela Copa do Brasil: Erison, com dor nas costas, sequer foi para Belo Horizonte. Isso abre espaço para Matheus Nascimento assumir um papel de protagonismo na equipe. O jogo será transmitido em tempo real no site do LANCE!.

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+ Jejum de vitórias e gols: como o América-MG chega para enfrentar o Botafogo

O jovem de 18 anos será titular e a principal opção no setor ofensivo do Glorioso no primeiro jogo das oitavas de final. A missão não é nada fácil: ‘El Toro’ é o artilheiro do clube na temporada.

+ Saiba os clubes do Brasil com mais sócios-torcedores

Matheus Nascimento já tem dois gols na atual edição da Copa do Brasil – ambos marcados contra o Ceilândia-DF, na fase anterior. O camisa 90 balançou as redes em sete oportunidades no ano.

+ América-MG x Botafogo: prováveis times, desfalques e onde assistir ao duelo pelas oitavas da Copa do Brasil

Mais do que números, a partida será uma chance de ouro para Matheus ter minutos concretos para, finalmente, guiar o Botafogo. Diante do sucesso de Erison, é até natural que o jovem ficasse sem espaço na equipe titular. Na maior parte das vezes, ele tem sido uma opção no segundo tempo dos duelos.

A equipe, além de Erison, terá as ausências de Victor Sá, Gustavo Sauer e Lucas Piazon no sistema ofensivo. O peso sob Matheus Nascimento apenas aumenta, mas também é uma oportunidade de mostrar que está pronto para o tamanho do desafio.

West Ham United are now keen on signing a “superstar” striker, having identified him as their top target for the summer transfer window, according to a report.

West Ham's striker issues

The Hammers never seem to have much luck when it comes to signing strikers, with some big-name signings such as Sebastien Haller and Gianluca Scamacca failing to adapt to life in the Premier League.

Niclas Fullkrug was also brought in last summer, but the German struggled to replicate his form in the Bundesliga prior to picking up a hamstring injury, while Michail Antonio is set to be ruled out for the foreseeable future due to a car crash.

Jarrod Bowen is always a reliable source of goals, once again getting on the scoresheet in the 1-0 victory against Arsenal yesterday, but Graham Potter is keen to bring in an out-and-out striker in the summer transfer window.

West Ham player "in talks" to leave with February transfer expected

He’s keen on a new challenge.

ByEmilio Galantini Feb 22, 2025

Talks have been opened with Corinthians forward Yuri Alberto, but the 23-year-old may just be a back-up option, as The Guardian have now revealed West Ham’s top striker target is Lille’s Jonathan David.

David is set to be available on a free transfer in the summer, upon the expiration of his Lille contract, and he is attracting the attention of some of Europe’s biggest clubs, with Inter Milan and Juventus also keen.

The report claims the Canadian now looks certain to leave Lille at the end of the season, but it remains to be seen whether the Hammers will be able to meet his high wage demands.

"Superstar" David destined for the top

The 25-year-old has been lauded as a “superstar” by Canada teammate Jonathan Osorio, and he has a very impressive goal record over the course of a number of years in Ligue 1, arriving in 2020 after impressing in Belgium with Gent.

Season

Appearances

Goals

2020-21

37

13

2021-22

38

15

2022-23

37

24

2023-24

34

19

2024-25

21

12

The Brooklyn-born forward also has 31 goals in 59 games for his national side, so it is little wonder he is attracting the attention of some big clubs, and it is promising news that West Ham are in the race for his signature.

Fullkrug has struggled in his debut season at the London Stadium, scoring just twice in the Premier League, but even if he finds his feet, the 32-year-old is not of an age to lead the line for the long-term future.

The same applies to Antonio, who is now arguably in the twilight years of his career, so a younger striker will be a necessary signing in the summer, and David fits the bill at 25-years-old.

Given the Lille star’s ability, it may be difficult for the Hammers to get a deal done this summer, especially considering they are very unlikely to have European football on offer, but if they are able to pull it off, he could be an excellent long-term addition to the squad.

The playmaker feels scorned by his club asking him to leave and he has every right to stay in England and make them live to regret their decision

When a footballer leaves the club that they have served for the majority of their career and where they have spent their best years, they have roughly three routes to take. The first is to do what Ryan Giggs, Paul Scholes, Jamie Carragher and Gerard Pique did, among many others, and retire from football altogether, ensuring that you never betray the fans who you built such a strong connection with.

The second and most common route is to continue playing but to move abroad, ideally to a league where you can take things easy and where you are unlikely to come up against your beloved club again. Steven Gerrard, Xavi Hernandez and Andres Iniesta followed this path, leaving as legends but still having a bit of an adventure at the end of their playing days having long passed their peak.

Then there is the third road, the least travelled and most controversial: move to one of your rivals, beating your former employers to a huge title and making them forever regret letting you go. Luis Figo and Sol Campbell are the most famous examples although both players made unilateral decisions to leave and burned their reputations with their ex-teams in the process. But what about those players who had no say in leaving their club and felt hugely aggrieved about effectively being kicked out, with little thanks for everything they had given them?

It is a conundrum that Kevin De Bruyne is currently weighing up in his mind as he considers his next move after being forced out of Manchester City. It was first thought that he would take the second option and see out his career comfortably in the MLS, with Inter Miami, San Diego FC and Chicago Fire all possible destinations. But there is a growing possibility of him remaining not just in Europe, but in the Premier League and coming back to haunt City.

Liverpool have reportedly already reached out to the Belgian to discuss a contract. And considering his recent talismanic performances, plenty of other clubs should be queuing up to try to convince him to extend his stay in the best league in the world…

• Getty
  

  Cruyff & Suarez's precedents

  Johan Cruyff felt a huge sense of anger when Ajax rejected his salary demands in 1983 and opted against offering him a new contract. He explained in his autobiography : "Ajax was still my team, but the people running it refused to go along with me. I heard they were saying I was too old and too fat and still putting on weight. I had to deal with all their objections. And they also demanded that I should be satisfied with a normal salary and of course, I wasn’t."

  Cruyff got his revenge in the most spectacular fashion, by joining hated enemies Feyenoord and inspiring them to the Eredivisie title at the age of 37. Luis Suarez also felt betrayed when Barcelona told him they wanted him to leave in 2020, reducing him to tears. He joined Atletico Madrid, much to the horror of his former employers, who had forgotten to include Diego Simeone's side on a list of clubs he was not allowed to join as part of the terms of his exit.

  Suarez proved to be the talisman as Atletico pipped Barca to the league title, scoring 21 times across the season including winners in the last two matches against Osasuna and Real Valladolid. And moments after clinching the title on the final day he had Barcelona's snub fairly on his mind when he said: "It was tough, the situation I had to live through, the way I was looked down on. But Atletico opened the door to me."

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• Getty
  

  Not an amicable departure

  De Bruyne has been experiencing similar emotions to Cruyff and Suarez since his departure from City at the end of this season was confirmed. The Belgian's exit was far from a surprise given he was in the final months of his contract and had struggled with a hernia problem this season after tearing his hamstring twice in 2023.

  And at first it sounded like an amicable departure when the Belgian released an emotional statement announcing he was leaving after 10 trophy-laden years and Pep Guardiola said he would "bet a lot of money" that the club would build a statue in his honour. But then it became clear that the feeling was not mutual after all.

  First, Guardiola revealed that he and sporting director Txiki Begiristain had taken the decision and told De Bruyne he had to leave. The coach effectively said that De Bruyne was worn out physically and emotionally after the injuries. He said: "It was not easy for me to tell him he won’t continue. The last year and a half, he was out injured because he gave everything for the club. Everything he had in his body and his mind, he’s done it, so there’s no doubt about it."

  Since then, De Bruyne has given many bluntly honest interviews in which he has explained how much he disagreed with the club's decision and how much it had upset him.

• (C)Getty Images
  

  Airing his grievances

  In his first media appearance since the announcement, after inspiring City to a 5-2 comeback win over Crystal Palace, he admitted he would consider offers from other Premier League clubs as he believed he was still good enough to play in England's top division. Then after the win at Everton he revealed how he really felt about being asked to leave City.

  He said: "Obviously, I was a bit surprised but I have to accept it. Honestly, I still think I can perform at this level like I'm showing but I understand that clubs have to make decisions. It was half a week till I reported it out and it wasn't nice. I know I'm not 25 anymore, but I still feel like I can do my job."

  He also seemed to suggest he had been one of the fall guys for the team's struggles in their worst season in nine years under Guardiola. "Maybe if the team didn't struggle and I came back like I did this year and bedded in like normal then maybe they would take another decision," he added. "I don't know – they told me what the decision was and I can't really say what they think on the inside. I don't feel like I want to share (the details) because it's basically more business-wise for them and they made a decision based on that. I still think that I'm in good shape, I've played way more than I did last year except the hernia. I feel good and the rhythm is coming. I have to accept the situation even though I feel like I can still do a good job but that's it."

  De Bruyne continued to air his grievances with the club after scoring the only goal in their narrow win over Wolves last week, declaring: "A lot of team-mates have said that it's sad I have to go too but that's just how it goes sometimes in life." And Jeremy Doku backed his statement up by saying: "Obviously it’s very sad and I do think he still has the qualities to play here and he showed it again."

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  Back to his best

  De Bruyne's recent actions have spoken as loud as his words and Premier League clubs would be mad not to try and get him to join their ranks on a free transfer, even if it is just for two more seasons. Despite his injury problems and the fact he has played the 12th-highest number of minutes for City in the Premier League, De Bruyne is still the team's second-biggest goal contributor in the league behind Erling Haaland, with four goals and seven assists.

  And while Guardiola cited De Bruyne's injury problems as the main reason he had to let him go, the player was right to point out that he is looking like his old self since overcoming the hernia issue which plagued him between September and December. He has been at the heart of City's run of four consecutive wins which has put them at the front of the race to finish in the top five and qualify for the Champions League.

  The playmaker was at his very best in the win over Palace: scoring with a free-kick; setting up a goal for Mateo Kovacic; bothering the woodwork and propelling City forward at every turn. He was the highest-rated player in the crucial win over fellow top-five chasers Aston Villa and he then made the difference against Wolves, a game that was far from straightforward for Guardiola's side.

Shakib moves past Stokes to No. 3 among allrounders while Indians surge too after their Chattogram win over Bangladesh

ESPNcricinfo staff21-Dec-2022Babar Azam has moved past Steven Smith and only behind Marnus Labuschagne in the rankings for Test batters following scores of 78 and 54 in the third and final Test against England, which Pakistan lost to concede the series 3-0 at home.Far away from Karachi, in Brisbane, Travis Head scored 92 in 96 balls in the first Australia innings in a Test where 34 wickets fell well within two days, and that got him into the top five for the first time in his career. He is currently joint-fourth with Joe Root, who scored a duck in his only innings in the Test in Karachi. In the Brisbane Test, Smith hit 36 and 6, and Labuschagne 11 and 5 not out; so far ahead of the pack was Labuschagne that Babar, despite his rise, is still 61 rating points behind Labuschagne.Full rankings tables

Click here for the full team rankings

Click here for the full player rankings

At the end of England’s phenomenal performance in Pakistan, many of their other batters made big gains: Ben Stokes was up two spots to No. 23, Ollie Pope one spot to No. 28, and Harry Brook, named the Player of the Series, went up 11 positions to enter the top 50 for the first time at joint-44th place.The third Test series in progress over the last week was between Bangladesh and India, where India won the first Test in Chattogram by 188 runs.Cheteshwar Pujara scored 90 and 102 not out there, and Shubman Gill scored 20 and 110. As a result, Pujara went up 19 places to No. 19, and Gill ten places to joint-54th. Shreyas Iyer’s 86 in his only innings helped him move up 11 places to No. 26.Kagiso Rabada was the only bowler to gain significantly in the top ten for bowlers, his eight wickets – twin four-fors – in the Brisbane Test lifting him four spots to No. 3. Outside the top ten, Axar Patel and Kuldeep Yadav moved up ten places to No. 18 and 19 places to No. 49 respectively after leading India’s bowling charge in Chattogram.Also in Chattogram, Shakib Al Hasan played an aggressive innings of 84 in Bangladesh’s second innings, and that helped him move past Stokes to No. 3 on the table for Test allrounders.

It is no secret that Tottenham Hotspur wish to make Mathys Tel’s stay indefinite after his initial loan move from Bayern Munich, but it is now believed that manager Ange Postecoglou has been given a real bit of encouragement as he looks to make it happen.

Likelihood of Mathys Tel staying at Tottenham uncertain

While Postecoglou is convinced that Tel is staying at Spurs for the long-haul, there is still uncertainty surrounding the 19-year-old’s future in north London.

£400k-per-week forward has privately refused to rule out joining Tottenham

Spurs appear to have been given a transfer boost.

1

By
Emilio Galantini

Feb 19, 2025

Tel put pen to paper on a potential six-year contract at Tottenham, if the club opt to trigger the £45 million buy-option in his temporary deal, but German media have reported that his stay is certainly not a foregone conclusion.

Tel is believed to still be keen on a move to Man United, and he could even decide to remain at Bayern for the 2025/2026 season.

“There were also talks with Manchester United who were interested in Mathys Tel’s signature,” wrote Bundesliga insider Christian Falk on his own version of the Dailybriefing recently.

“Tel was certainly open to the move, but United weren’t prepared to pay the loan fee Bayern Munich were demanding at the time (€5m). So, you see, there was a huge difference to the offer Tottenham came to the table with. Whether Tel stays with Bayern beyond the summer or moves on, it’s entirely up to him. If he can make the step to United, he would like to do it.”

The versatile teenage attacker has already impressed in flashes since his switch to N17, so much so that sections of supporters are extremely keen to see Tel don Lilywhite next term and beyond.

While a summer move to Old Trafford or staying at Bayern hasn’t been ruled out yet, a report by GiveMeSport has shared some good news for Spurs in regard to Tel’s future.

Tottenham given "significant boost" in permanent Mathys Tel deal

As per journalist Dean Jones, writing for GMS, Tottenham have been handed a “significant boost” as they eye a permanent deal for Tel.

This comes in the form of him being very happy with life in London right now, with Tel apparently giving “indications” that he is interested in making his Hotspur Way stay permanent behind-the-scenes.

As such, Spurs are now growing increasingly optimistic about signing the forward indefinitely this summer, with Tel’s new-found stance giving Postecoglou’s side a real reason to be confident.

This follows on from Postecoglou’s comments, stating that Tel is “100 per cent” wants to be in north London.

“Yes, 100 per cent. I am more than 100 per cent sure because he took so much time, was so diligent about finding out everything,” said Postecoglou when asked if Tel really wanted to join Spurs in January.

“He had other options so it gave me more confidence that we are getting the right kind of mentality, the right kind of player.”

Bangladesh set two new team records in their 183-run win over Ireland in the first ODI in Sylhet. It is their biggest win in ODIs, batting first, after they scored 338 for 8, their highest total in the format, too. The visitors, who have come to these shores after 15 years, were bowled out for 155 in 30.5 overs.Bangladesh’s innings was built around Shakib Al Hasan and Towhid Hridoy making nineties, with Mushfiqur Rahim’s fiery 26-ball 44 complementing their effort. Hridoy’s 92 is the highest by a Bangladeshi debutant in ODIs, beating Nasir Hossain’s 63 in 2011. Hridoy became the first batter from this team to score a fifty on debut batting in the top five. Shakib scored 93, the fourth time he has fallen in the nineties. The pair added 135 runs for the fourth wicket, the foundation on which Bangladesh built their record-breaking total.With a big chase in front of them, Ireland suffered a top- and middle-order collapse, triggered by Shakib and then made terminal by Ebadot Hossain and Taskin Ahmed, who picked up the next four wickets to fall. The visitors went from 60 for 0 to 76 for 5. Nasum Ahmed cleaned up the lower order with 3 for 43. On the day of winning the ESPNcricinfo award for 2022’s best Test bowling performance, Ebadot finished on his career-best ODI figures of 4 for 42.But it was Bangladesh’s batting that made this victory possible. The big partnership between Hridoy and Shakib came on the back of Ireland taking three early wickets. Paul Stirling took the catches of both Tamim Iqbal and Litton Das, before Andy McBrine removed Najmul Hossain Shanto for 25. The trio must have rued their luck having seen what followed.Shakib and Hridoy spent roughly 15 overs rebuilding the innings before unfurling a flurry of boundaries. During this consolidation period, Shakib became the third cricketer to reach 7,000 runs and 300 wickets in ODIs. The pair struck a four each in the 32nd over before Shakib launched into Harry Tector in the 35th over. He struck five fours — sweeping twice, cutting one through point, and chipping over cover and long-on – as Bangladesh lifted the scoring significantly.Towhid Hridoy made 92 on ODI debut•AFP/Getty Images

A century after four years stared back at Shakib at this stage but Graham Hume, Ireland’s best bowler of the day, removed him with a wide yorker. This was Shakib’s eighth dismissal in the 90s in all formats. His 89-ball stay contained nine boundaries.Soon after that dismissal, Hridoy blasted Hume for a six to keep the momentum going. He struck one more, and rushed towards a century himself. It would have been the first by a Bangladeshi on ODI debut but Hume bowled him with a full one and, having already removed Mushfiqur earlier in the over. finished with his maiden four-wicket haul in ODIs.Mushfiqur had hammered three sixes, two of them down the ground. He also hit three fours as his 26-ball 44, the late push that took them to a big total.Ireland’s innings started as promisingly as any team would want chasing 339. Stirling and Stephen Doheny added 60 runs for the first wicket before the batting collapse set in. Doheny made 34 off 38 balls with five boundaries, before Shakib had him caught behind in the 12th over. Ebadot removed Stirling in the following over but that was more a wicketkeeper’s wicket. Mushfiqur dived down the leg-side to complete a tumbling effort.In his next over, Tector edged Ebadot for 3, with Mushfiqur taking his third catch. Then Taskin turned 68 for 3 into 76 for 5 in the space of five of his deliveries. First he bowled captain Andrew Balbirnie through the gate for 5, before Yasir took a smart catch at slip, to remove Lorcan Tucker for 6.Curtis Campher and George Dockrell stemmed the collapse with a 33-run stand for the sixth wicket, before Nasum did away with it. He trapped Campher lbw in the 24th over, with the third umpire upholding the on-field umpire’s decision. Nasum repeated the dose to Gareth Delany in his following over, trapping him lbw for 1. McBrine fell next ball, caught behind for a golden duck. Ebadot removed Mark Adair three overs later, with Mushfiqur taking his fifth catch in the match, for the second time in his ODI career.Ebadot finished the game with his fourth wicket, that of Dockrell, who top scored with 45 off 47 with six fours. It was Ebadot’s second four-wicket haul, coming in an already special day for him.